1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to removing specific compounds from gasoline or diesel fuel and, more particularly, to a method and product for removing nitrogen compounds from gasoline or diesel fuel by exposure of the gasoline or diesel fuel to a molecularly imprinted polymer.
Nitrogen compounds in gasoline or diesel fuel, when burned such as by the combustion of gasoline or diesel fuel in internal combustion engines; produce nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), primarily, which contributes in part to the formation of smog and which has adverse affects upon the atmosphere. Numerous well-known environmental impacts are caused by the release primarily of nitric oxide and nitric dioxide, and by the release of other byproducts that result from the combustion of molecules that contain nitrogen.
Therefore, the goal is to reduce the amount of nitrogen compounds in gasoline or diesel fuel before the gasoline or diesel fuel is burned (combusted) which will, in turn, reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides, primarily nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, that are being emitted out of the exhaust pipes of the respective vehicles.
Accordingly, it is expected that the government will begin to regulate nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from gasoline and diesel fuel, and that the intent of such possible regulations will be to lower the level of these emissions into the atmosphere. In order to decrease such emissions, it is necessary to reduce the nitrogen compounds that are present in the gasoline or diesel fuel before it is used (i.e., combusted or burned) in internal combustion types of gasoline or diesel engines.
Accordingly, refineries are seeking to find new technologies that can reduce the number and type of nitrogen compounds in gasoline or diesel fuel prior to the use of the gasoline or diesel fuel in vehicles.
However, there are many difficulties that have thus far prevented an effective solution from being found. For example, all current approaches are expensive. The possibility of substantially raising the cost of a gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel is not likely to be well-received by the general public, especially in light of the currently high prices for these fuels and the generally difficult current economic times.
Furthermore, a potential problem relating to removing nitrogen compounds from gasoline or diesel fuel includes the potential of also removing some or even a significant amount of the hydrocarbon content of the fuel, thereby resulting in a lower octane rating and yielding a gasoline or diesel fuel that has lower value, or worse yet, may not be suitable for use in certain situations.
As certain vehicles require a higher octane fuel in order to run properly, an effective way by which refineries can provide reasonably priced, higher octane rated gasoline and diesel fuel with a low nitrogen content is, at present, unknown.
The problem is further compounded by the fact that all crude oil is not the same. Gasoline that is produced (i.e., refined) from Saudi Arabia crude oil may have a different mix of nitrogen compounds that crude oil that is produced from South African crude oil, for example.
For a solution to this problem to be especially viable, it must economically remove a variety of nitrogen compounds from gasoline or diesel fuel without also excessively reducing the hydrocarbon content of the gasoline or diesel fuel. In other words, it must be specific as to what compounds are removed from the gasoline, extracting the target nitrogen compounds while leaving (i.e., not removing) the other various hydrocarbon compounds that contribute to the energy content of the gasoline or diesel fuel.
Certain of the more common and deleterious nitrogen compounds include pyrrole (PY), indole (IL) and carbazole (CB). The abbreviations, as shown in parentheses will be used hereinafter.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a method and product for removing nitrogen compounds from gasoline or diesel fuel in ways that help ameliorate the above-mentioned difficulties.
Clearly, such a method and product would be especially useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Processes for removing compounds from non-aqueous solutions are known.
While the structural arrangements of the above described methods, at first appearance, may have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior methods.